There! He found her below, right at the boundary of the webs. Shirley was really lucky. However, she seemed to be unconscious. She must have overexerted herself in the previous battle. And there were bugs on the same layer, which were slowly regaining their senses. It would not be long before they found her. Of course, the same went for Benedict too. He bit his lip and plotted out his next move. Time was of the essence. To rescue Shirley, he would have to jump down the web layers. Fortunately, he was comfortable with heights, otherwise he would have never succeeded as the captain of a glider squadron all those years ago. The problem was after that. Where would they go next? Further down was a freefall into the waters where the monsters were battling it out. Going up without his martial techniques was impractical. That left the random tunnels scattered along the walls. He would have to gamble on which were safe, and which were not. It was one thing to gamble with his life, but to do that with Shirley's life… He hesitated.
Another violent explosion created powerful shockwaves through the cavern, making every web sway precariously. Benedict ducked and held on as he nearly lost his balance. His heart thumped wildly. This situation was crazy! Shirley slipped closer to the edge as well, and those insects started moving again. He had no time to hesitate. Thinking that, he fearlessly leapt off and plunged into the darkness. He memorized the location of all the webs, expertly caught one on his way down, and swung off of it. In an incredible show of athleticism, he moved from web to web, and in a matter of seconds, he landed on the same layer as Shirley. It bucked with his height, but it held.
Watching the three insects between him and Shirley, he wielded his shield. It was funny. Originally, he wanted to practice with a sword and shield again, to diversify his combat styles more. Defense was as important as offense. A well-rounded combat system was priceless, so that was his goal for this trip. Those plans evaporated when Nassandra disappeared. Here on these mountains, every beast was a monster. For example, the silk projectiles shot from those bugs could pierce right through his shield. It prevented him from using the Cloud Sea Style too. Hence, his shield never made an appearance until now.
Benedict dashed in with a Moon Flash. The sudden acceleration closed the gap on the bugs in an instant. Then, using his momentum and the shield as a battering ram, he slammed into the first bug with tremendous force. Bang! The insect's hard armor and the metal shield clanged violently. Benedict yelled and threw the bug off the web. It plummeted into the darkness below. The light kept flickering, but he could see the other two bugs reacting. They turned to him and prepared to shoot their silk. He fearlessly dove in, and rammed into the next bug, except it was clearly ready for him. Although it slid back, it was still far away from the edge. Shing! Its mandibles snapped shut and sheared the bottom of his shield off. Benedict's eyes went round. The last bug spat a silk arrow at him, which he sidestepped. The other bug used that opportunity to whack him. He was forced back. This was not good.
At that moment, a shadow dashed in from the other side. It was Shirley! She used Energy Acceleration to rapidly approach a bug, and then, rather gracefully, kicked it as hard as she could. Bang! A small shockwave was released on impact, and Shirley felt the tremors all the way through her armored boot. It felt like kicking a solid wall! She almost wondered if her foot was broken. Regardless, that force had to go somewhere. The bug was thrown back, right off the web. That left one enemy. Shirley charged, dodged a tail swipe, and jumped on its back. It thrashed around violently, but Shirley did not let go. Her body strained to contain the beast.
"Help! It's heavier than it looks!" she shouted.
Benedict immediately jumped in and joined her. Together, they hauled the insect over the edge. Seeing it disappear, they panted heavily. That short battle drained what little strength they recovered. It showed how exhausted they were.
"Are you okay?" Benedict asked.
"Well, my head hurts, I'm out of energy, my weapon's broken, and I don't have the slightest clue what's happening or where we are. Besides that, couldn't be better."
"If you can joke around, then you're probably fine."
"Where's that monster? And everyone else?"
"We'll talk after. Let's move first."
"Alright!"
They sprinted on the silk web to the wall where a dark tunnel entrance was. It did not look welcoming at all, and judging by how many insects there were, there was a good chance they would be greeted warmly. Benedict wanted to use his Martial Perception to check if there was danger ahead, or where their friends were, so he divided his concentration. Right then, Shirley yanked him as a silk projectile shot through the place he was in. She saved his life! Above and below them, the insects unleashed a crazed assault! Hundreds of silk projectiles filled the air, almost invisible yet utterly lethal. Benedict and Shirley paled white and instantly used their movement techniques. Moon Flash! Energy Acceleration! Bang! The web buckled under the force, but they sped forward. Although their speed was a far cry from their peak state, they managed to dodge the volley of silk that eviscerated the entire area. However, that one step used up most of their Martial Energy.
Fortunately, they made it halfway to the tunnel entrance. What greeted them there though was a horde of insects lining up, their mandibles clacking hungrily. With enemies in front and behind, Benedict and Shirley were in a dire situation. More and more silk projectiles nipped at their heels. It was getting dangerously tight. If they did not break through now, they would be filled with holes! Their thoughts moved rapidly. Benedict gauged their ability to break through the insects in front, and his face darkened. Using his Bloodline Ability and martial techniques, it was certainly possible… only, he could do neither right now. They would die if they charged in! Shirley realized a beat faster, used Mock Perception, and searched for another tunnel entrance. Mock Perception might have been a poor imitation of a Martial Perception, except it was undoubtedly the better choice here. Her eyesight sharpened, and with the light from the explosions below, she saw the wall with extreme clarity. As she clutched her head, the insects in front prepared their silk.
"Damn it! Get behind me!" Benedict yelled.
While running, he unsheathed his sword and took the Hawken Style's stance. This style, created by generations of Royal Guards, was developed with defense in mind. Before the insects released their silk, Benedict analyzed where they were aiming. In that split-second, he twisted his foot and pivoted in another direction. And thankfully, Shirley had monstrous battle instincts. She could keep up. Pew! Pew! Pew! Dozens of silk projectiles converged on their positions. Benedict raised his sword and with precise attacks, he cut down everything that came close. It was a masterful display of swordsmanship! Like this, they continued to press forward. They had to be insane to do this, especially Shirley. Her halberd was broken and her sword was missing, so she was placing her life in Benedict's hands. If Benedict slipped up or missed something, she would face the consequences. This required absolute trust in each other where the slightest hesitation would spell death! However, they did it. They cut their way across the web!
Benedict grunted under the barrage of attacks. His body screamed in agony, as his every muscle burned. Every step was getting harder. The closer he got, the fiercer the attacks, and the greater the pressure on him. Whoosh! A silk arrow grazed his cheek and brushed past Shirley's hair. The next one skimmed his thigh and touched Shirley's torso. He was gradually reaching his limit! And it was not just his body either, since his sword was struggling too. Fragments of metal danced in the air. Then, with a resounding crack, his sword shattered! His eyes widened. Without a sword, how was he supposed to use the Hawken Style?
But it was fine. They were close enough now. Shirley grabbed Benedict's broken shield, winded her arm back, and roared. Finally, like a meteor, she threw it straight into the wall. Boom! It stabbed deeply into the rock wall, sticking out with a flat surface. Benedict and Shirley gathered the last embers of their Martial Energy and used their movement techniques. Whoosh! They soared into the air, stepped on the shield, and jumped again. Right at their destination was the tunnel entrance Shirley found earlier!